Cancer victims are to be spared the trauma of having their breasts removed unnecessarily, thanks to Newcastle researchers.

Breast-cancer sufferers are often advised to have a mastectomy just to be on the safe side in case a tumour spreads.

But now doctors at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle have changed their policy, thanks to a team of scientists at Newcastle University.

They found that cutting out tumours in some cases, rather than the whole breast, is just as effective at preventing the disease coming back. The team, led by Tom Lennard, head of the department of surgery, studied the cases of 40 women.

The team found that in some cases such radical surgery was needless.

A university spokesman said: "This is excellent news because world-class research directly benefits patients who go for treatment in local hospitals.

"The breast cancer study is a good example of this."

Each year 38,000 women are newly diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK, and 13,000 die.